How to Warm up a Frigid Valentine
by RogueAngel
Summary: Never follow Fred and George Weasley anywhere.....
1. The Plan

How to Warm up a Frigid Valentine  
By RogueAngel  
  
Rogueangel1998@yahoo.com  
  
Summary: Harry and friends learn the hard way that it is never a good idea to follow Fred and George anywhere.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to JK Rowling. No real harm was intended.  
  
Chapter one  
  
Fred Weasley bounded into his dormitory, flinging back the curtains of his twin's bed with a loud, "Ah ha! Here's where you've been hiding!"  
  
George looked up at his brother, slightly disgruntled. "I haven't been hiding, I've been here...studying."  
  
Fred gave him a knowing look. "Studying, were we?" He looked pointedly at the quill and parchment perched on his lap. "And just what were you studying."  
  
Rolling up the parchment and shoving it under his pillow, George crossed his arms and leaned back against the headboard. "I was revising for potions, if you must know."  
  
Sitting down at the foot of the bed, Fred smirked. "Never lie to yourself, my dear twin. It's impossible. Which means, you might as well not try lying to me! Honestly," he rolled his eyes, "you think I wouldn't notice?" George made to interrupt, but Fred held up his hand. "Never mind. Do you know what this weekend is? Saturday, specifically?" Blankly George shook his head. "Honestly, am I the brains and the beauty of this duo?"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Just kidding, brother of mine," Fred smiled. "It's Valentine's Day! Time to make the move on Alicia, mate. Time to take that next step. And no wimpy love poems." He grinned maliciously at George's pillow where he had stashed the parchment. George blushed. "Besides, there is no way you can beat Ginny's valentine to Harry fourth year."  
  
"You wrote that!" George sputtered.  
  
"I did, I did...and it was brillant," Fred nodded sagely. "His eyes are like a fresh pickled toad....' Now if that doesn't bring tears to your loved ones' eyes, I don't know what will."  
  
"You are mental," George couldn't help grinning back. "I think I'll stick to my own ideas, thanks. I want Alicia to go out with me...not run away screaming."  
  
"Exactly!" Fred exclaimed. "You have to impress her. Do something different. No poems, no candies."  
  
"Okay, I'll bite....what do you propose?"  
  
Fred rubbed his hands together gleefully. "How about seeing Alicia...and Angelina, of course, in bathing suits? We'll take them to that hot water grotto we found in November. It's new. It's different. Show's we're not like other guys. And...." he paused for effect, "we get to see some skin!"  
  
"Are you nuts?!" George asked, his eyebrows raised incredulously. "They would never go with us there. Swimming?! That's your romantic idea?"  
  
Giving his brother a wounded look, Fred sniffed delicately. "Of course. What could be more romantic than a candle lit grotto filled with soft sand and hot water?. Lots of chances to goof around...or...sneak in some good groping! Or both at the same time, if you're gifted like me," he grinned broadly.  
  
George shook his head. "That might work well for you. You and Angelina have been dating for ages, but Alicia and I are just friends...so far. You can't expect me to invite her there so that I can grab and grope her! Besides, they'd never trust us alone down there. We do have a reputation."  
  
"True, true," Fred agreed. "But I've already thought of that. What if we bring some chaperones?"  
  
"Chaperones?" repeated George. "What's the point in going if we're bringing chaperones? What? You going to invite McGonagal, or better yet, Snape? That'll really kill the mood!"  
  
"Don't be a prat," Fred rebuked his brother. "It's all in who you pick. If you pick a couple of nice innocent people, who, say, might have a secret interest in each other...then while they are otherwise occupied we can have time with our girls, but our girls will feel safer because these other people are there. Do you get it?"  
  
George thought about it for a moment, a sly smile slowly dawning on his face. "I see," he replied, tapping his long finger against his chin in thought. "If we invite, say, Ron and Hermione along with us..."  
  
"The girls will feel better about the whole trip...."  
  
"And our dear brother will be slobbering all over Hermione..."  
  
"And she'll be so preoccupied with him...."  
  
"We'll be home free!"  
  
Fred smiled broadly. "I knew you must have inherited some of my brains! It's a brilliant plan. And there are enough hidden nooks and cranies for us to sneak away for a bit and no one will be the wiser!"  
  
Suddenly George started shaking his head. "One minor glitch in your brilliant plan, O Brainy One. Harry. Ron and Hermione are so in denial about their feelings for each other that they would never consider going on what amounts to a double, or triple, date with us - on Valentine's Day, no less. And they would never want to leave Harry behind. And if Harry comes, then they won't be distracted and then we'll be out of luck."  
  
Both twins sat thinking for a moment, then, as if a lightening bolt had burst from the sky, they looked up and grinned. "Ginny!" the said at the same time. George's smile faded a bit as he thought about it more. "Are we sure we want to set her up with Harry? I mean, I know she likes him and all, but...she's our little sister. I don't think she's ready for a boyfriend - I'm not ready for her to have a boyfriend."  
  
Fred stood up and walked over to his trunk, digging for something, his mind obviously already made up. "Lighten up, will you? You know Harry. He's not going to do anything." He stood up and grinned again. "If anything it will make them both squirm. Think of the fun we can have!"  
  
George looked at him thoughtfully. "Do you think Harry..? Do you think he could like her like that?"  
  
"Don't know," Fred shrugged. "She is a Weasley after all, and we are a charming lot. But I'm not too worried about Harry. He knows he'd have to go through the six of us to get to her. He's not going to do anything....inappropriate. Now, me and Angelina on the other hand....."  
  
"Oh please, just make sure you don't scare the kiddies, okay?" 


	2. Wanderings

Chapter 2  
  
  
Ginny trudged along behind her brothers and Harry not exactly sure why she had let herself be talked into this. They had been wandering through the dungeons for 20 minutes. Any moment now she expected Fred and George to turn around and start laughing at them for actually believing their story of an underground hot spring, or worse, disappear and leave them stranded. She didn't even know that the dungeons extrended this far underneath Hogwarts.  
  
She sighed deeply. 'Why, why did I let myself get talked into this?' she asked herself for the upteenth time. 'To see Harry in a bathing suit, of course,' a small, snide voice answered her. Ginny could feel her cheeks flush. She and Harry had become pretty good friends this year, but the idea of seeing him in a pair of swim trunks was quite intriguing, she had to admit - friendship or not, he was cute and did have a good body. She wasn't adverse to seeing it. Not at all.  
  
"What's up, Ginny?" Hermione asked quietly as they walked along behind everyone.  
  
Ginny shrugged a bit. "I just wish I knew what those two are up too," she said, nodding towards the twins. "I don't know how I got talked into this!"  
  
"I have to admit," Hermione said thoughtfully, "I'm a bit intrigued. I know there are hotsprings all over the area, but I've never been to a natural one. We once went to a spa in France once, but that was just a bunch of pools. They're said to be very medicinal and relaxing. My only concern is why they bothered to invite us at all. They seem a bit preoccupied with Angelina and Alicia, if you ask me."  
  
Laughing softly, Ginny shook her head. "Oh, I know why they brought us along. Angelina and Alicia would never have come alone with the terrible duo. We're supposed to be the...chaperones, I guess. And the joke fodder," she added more darkly. The twins never tired of teasing their younger siblings - and by extension, Harry and Hermione. They could get quite over the top sometimes.  
  
Hermione gave a disdainful sniff. She rarely let the twins bother her, a skill that Ginny and Ron had been unable to cultivate. "Don't let them upset you. If these pools are as big as they say, I doubt we'll see much of them anyways. They'll manage to sneak off and we'll be safe to have fun and relax. Did you manage to find your swimsuit?"  
  
Ginny felt herself blushing again. "Yeah, I found mine, but...it's a two piece and it's a bit small in the top. I was going to as Mira, or Alexa, but I didn't want them asking me why I needed to borrow a suit in the middle of February.  
  
Patting her arm reassuringly, Hermione smiled. "Don't worry about it. We'll be in the water so it won't really matter whether it's too small or not. Anyways, it's only your brothers...and Harry," she added offhandedly.  
  
"Yeah, and Harry," Ginny whispered under her breath. Harry Potter was still very much an enigma to her. He was nice and polite, he went out of his way to include her when he, Ron and Hermione did things. He smiled at her. He asked for her opinion. He even teased her on occasion - but never about her possible feelings for him. Now that she knew him, Ginny realized that he was everything that she had dreamed about and more. But now, she was more embarrassed than ever that he knew of her feelings for him - her crush.  
  
She was over it, she was sure. She no longer had a 'crush' on him. She didn't blush or stammer in his presence. She didn't defer to his opinions as if he was all knowing. They'd even gotten into a few rousing arguements, that, while not up to Ron and Hermione's standards, were still pretty harsh. And he'd always been the one to apologize first, sending her Hedwig with a silly limerick or flower. They were friends and her crush was over...but not her liking of him. The more she got to know him, the more she came to love him - as a person, and a friend.   
  
He was practically one of the family, though Ginny couldn't think of him as another brother. Her admiration of him far exceeded anything that she felt for them. He was kind, handsome, thoughful, funny, caring and he had the best butt in the whole school - she wasn't the only one who thought so. She had delighted in teasing him about it, actually. She'd overheard a group of Ravenclaw sixth years discussing it one day and she had teased him for a week. She only stopped when he had asked her point blank if she agreed with them. She'd blushed, pretended to think about it and then agreed - he had the best butt in the school. He looked rather stunned by her admission and she'd walked away triumphant, but she'd never brought up the subject again.  
  
So, she liked Harry. She was attracted to Harry. He was her friend and she liked spending time with him. For the most part she never let her old crush make her uncomfortable. She was past such childish feelings. But, she had to admit, if it wasn't for the fact that Harry was coming swimming with them, Ginny would never have even considered following George and Fred this far into the dungeons wearing a too small bikini under her robes. The temptation to see Harry - in the flesh so to speak, was just too tempting. So much for her lofty ideals of only being his friend.  
  
  
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Harry glanced over his shoulder seeing Ginny and Hermione whispering softly to each other. He caught Ginny's eye and he smiled at her. She smiled back softly, causing his stomach to do a little flip. It had been doing that a lot lately, he realized. "Ron, why are we doing this again?" he asked his friend beside him, leaving the girls to their conversation.  
  
Ron shrugged. "Because it sounds like fun? Because Angelina has a great body and we get to see it in a swimsuit? Because we have nothing better to do today except study? Take your pick."  
  
Harry smirked over at Ron. "More likely it's not Angelina you want to see in a swim suit."  
  
"What?!" Ron asked, his face flushing slightly. "Well," he said, recovering his cool, "Alicia's not bad to look at either..."  
  
"Mmm hmmm," Harry agreed, though he couldn't keep from grinning slightly at his friend's studied nonchalance.  
  
"What?" Ron asked him sharply.  
  
Harry held up his hands slightly. "Nothing, nothing. Honest." They walked along in silence for a few more minutes, watching as Fred gave Angelina a piggy back ride, George and Alicia laughing at their antics. "Do you think it's okay if I don't have a suit? It's going to be really weird swimming in my underwear."  
  
"Naw, don't worry. Boxers look enough like swim trunks. You'll be fine," Ron reassured him.  
  
"Yeah, okay," Harry agreed slowly.  
  
Ron glanced over at him. "It'll be fine, Harry. Besides, we'll be in the water mostly. No one will notice. Fred and George will be too busy with Angelina and Alicia to pay us any attention. Who's left to care? It's only Hermione and Ginny, after all."  
  
"Yeah," Harry tried to laugh, "Only Hermione and Ginny." Only Ginny who had been making his stomach do sommersaults for the past..oh...3 or 4 months. Only Ginny who had emerged from this summer like a butterfly from her coccoon; no longer shy and reserved; no longer just Ron's little sister. He had laughed heartily back in fourth year when Ron had told Hermione that he had just realized she was 'a girl.' But now he understood exactly what his friend had meant. It was rather shocking to look at someone you had always known and taken for granted and see them as someone totally different and, well, female.  
  
Harry hadn't always thought of Ginny as a...girl. This summer when he had finally arrived at the Burrow things between him and Ginny hadn't changed much - or so he thought. She was simply Ron's little sister. But within a week he had seen a whole new side of her. Instead of treating him with awe, or being shy or awkward around him, she started treating him just like one of her brothers. She teased him, she fought with him, she even stole his socks! Once he got to really know her he realized he had never really knew her at all. She was as mischevious as the twins, as hot tempered as Ron, and she could talk for hours if you let her.  
  
So this summer Harry had gotten to know the real Ginny and he liked her a lot. At school they became even closer. He honestly enjoyed her company. Ron and Hermione didn't tease him - no one ever had, but Ginny seemed to take delight in it, and he was even learning to tease back. The only time she had ever made him truely uncomfortable with her teasing was when she had over heard some stupid Ravenclaw girls talking about his butt. She'd clamed up pretty quick after he asked for her opinion on the subject. Of course, he hadn't expected her to agree with them.  
  
That was when Harry realized that he might actually want her to treat him as more than just another brother. It wasn't just that she was fun to be with, but he realized she was also very pretty with her curly hair and warm brown eyes that twinkled when she smiled at him. He had been almost physically ill when she had twirled in front of him, showing off her new dress, asking him if she looked presentable for a date she had made with a Ravenclaw 6th year. She had looked beautiful and he was jealous that she was primping for someone else - even if he knew he had no reason to be jealous. She had never pretended to be more than his friend, having obviously gotten over her crush long ago. He should have been happy for her, but he wasn't. He had never been so relieved when she had come back from Hogsmeade and told them all that Ian just wasn't her type.  
  
There'd been no other boys since the Ravenclaw, but there had also been no change in the way Ginny treated him. Despite these strange new feelings, Harry wasn't exactly sure if he wanted things to change. She was a good friend now. Pursuing more could make things worse. She was over him, Ron would probably never stand for it, and, deep down inside, Harry wondered if he was even capable of that kind of love. Maybe all he felt now was...lust...towards a very attractive friend. He just hoped he didn't embarrass himself or her today while they were swimming. After all, she had only teased him in the past. She'd never flirted, and wasn't that how girls showed that they were interested? He sighed. Life never seemed to be simple.  
  
George's cheerful, "We're here!" interrupted Harry's thoughts. He looked around the small antechamber speculatively, wondering exactly what Fred and George were up to. He didn't see any sign of a hot spring, let alone one the size the twins claimed. Of course, that didn't mean much in the wizarding world. The small room was rather humid and drippy, with several moist crevices spread about its rough hewn walls. Seeing the dubious looks on the others' faces Harry knew that he wasn't the only one waiting for the other shoe to drop and the twins to start laughing at their gullibilty.  
  
George began poking around in the a couple of the crevices, sticking his head in then muttering to himself, until finally he seemed to pick one and climbed right into it on his hands and knees. "Follow me," he called back to them, his voice muffled by the tight passage. Looking at each other, they shrugged. What did they have to lose? They'd come this far unscathed. Maybe the twins weren't really putting them on after all. Without a word, Angelina and Alicia climbed through, followed by Hermione.  
  
"You've got to be kidding," Ron finally sputtered, looking around at his brother and then back at Hermione who had just started crawling in. "You want us to crawl where?!"  
  
Looking patronizingly at his little brother, Fred put his arm around Ron's shoulder. "See that moist crevice right there?" pointing at Hermione's retreating form, unable to control his smirk, his eyebrow raised suggestively. "All you have to do is follow it...oops, I mean go through it."  
  
Ron's face and ears turned red as he gaped at his brother. Harry started choking, unsure whether to laugh or not, and Ginny let out an indignant, "Fred!" as she hit him upside the head.  
  
Fred just grinned laviciously. "Sorry, slip of the tongue. Didn't mean anything by it, kiddies." He climbed into the crevice was gone.  
  
The remaining three looked after him, their faces flushed with embarrassment, trying not to laugh. Shaking his head, Ron climbed in, followed by Ginny and then Harry. 


	3. Hot Water

Chapter 3  
  
By the time Harry crawled through George was already down to his trunks, Fred was almost out of his robes and the girls were oohing and ahhing over the beauty of the place. The cavern was atleast the size of the Gryffindor common room, but the ceiling wasn't so high as to make them feel almost cozy. There seemed to be a natural source of light coming from the walls and water, which was bubbling in places, but Fred and George had supplemented it with many candles scattered about the walls and suspended magically above them. It was very welcoming and not at all claustrophobic as Harry had feared. The soft white sand beneath there feet was fine and warm and comforting.  
  
Finally, Fred stood in front of them all wearing only his swimtrunks, smiling broadly. "Come on! Did we come here to stare at it or what?"  
  
Angelina tore her eyes away from the glowing pool and wrapped her arms around Fred giving him a loud kiss. "It's beautiful, Fred. Thank you for sharing."  
  
Smiling cockily, Fred pulled her closer. "Happy Valentine's Day, love," giving her another kiss. "Now get those clothes off and come join me in the water - bathing suit optional, of course!"  
  
"Fred!" Angelina laughed, giving him a push into the water. Not to be outdone, George jumped in next, splashing everyone.  
  
That seemed to bring them all out of the trance they were in and they began to disrobe. Everyone, except Ron.  
  
Standing with his hands on his hips, Ron looked down at his brothers from the small sandy beach near the entrance. Obviously, he still didn't trust them. "Are you nuts? Taken to human sacrafices, have you? Trying to boil us in this..this...cauldron?"  
  
Hermione piled her clothes on one of the drier rocks and began to wade into the pool, adjusting the straps of her light blue swimsuit. "Honestly, Ron," she laughed softly, her back to him. "It's just like a hot tub."  
  
"A what?" Ron asked absently, his voice cracking as he watched her finally submerge up to her shoulders. Harry and Ginny tried to control their smiles as they noticed that he couldn't take his eyes off their friend. Luckily Fred and George were occupied with Angelina and Alicia who had already joined them.  
  
"A hot tub," Hermione repeated, her face flushed from the warmth of the water. "Muggles love them. My aunt and uncle in Derbyshire have one. It's a great way to relax."  
  
Seeming to snap himself out of his stupor now that he no longer could actually see Hermione's body, Ron continued to argue, though his heart didn't seem to be in it. "So you want me to just boil myself in the water?" he asked, already taking off his shoes and socks. "How hot is it anyway?"  
  
Hermione began to float on her back, a look of sheer bliss on her face. "It's quiet pleasant. Maybe 36 or 37 degrees."  
  
Overhearing their conversation, George swam over. "There's a cooler current back by that wall," he said, pointing to the wall furthest from them. And in the middle there's a warmer one. Not more than 40 degrees I'd say." Looking up at Ron, Harry and Ginny, George caught the drooling expression of his brother as Ron continued to stare at Hermione, his trousers halfway off. "Come on in, Ronniekins," he said in a sing song voice, a wide smile on his face. "I'm sure Hermione, here, would like someone to play with."  
  
Hermione came up sputtering at George. Ron turned away quickly, and Harry and Ginny did their best to keep from laughing out loud. Catching Harry's glance, Ginny rolled her eyes at him, silently sniggering at her hopeless brother. Harry nodded his head in response. When were they ever going to realize what was so obvious to everyone else?  
  
Wasting no more time, Ron waded into the water, his eyes trained on George who began swimming away, laughing. Everyone laughed when Ron finally caught him and dunked him underwater.  
  
"Ah, you honor as been avenge, Dearest Hermione," Fred called across the pool. Angelina splashed him, making him sputter, but Ron pretended not to hear as his swam over to investigate the bubbling portion of the pool.  
  
"I thought muggle tubs were supposed to have bubbles. Lots and lots of bubbles," he called over to Fred and George.  
  
Fred shrugged. "Are you a wizard or what? If you want bubbles just stick your wand in it and twirl it about a bit." He looked down at Angelina in his arms. "Honestly, some people are never happy." Then he threw her as far as he could.  
  
Harry laughed as she came up sputtering. He really wanted to get into the water, but was a bit embarrassed by his lack of swim trunks. Finally he gave in and just striped off his trousers, throwing them on to a rock with his shirt and socks. The water felt warm and pleasant on his feet as he began to wade in.  
  
"Uh, Harry," George paused and looked at him, grinning. "Lovely tartan boxers you got there mate. Steal them from McGonagal, did you?"  
  
Harry couldn't control his blush. "Well, I don't own a swimsuit. This is as close as I could get on short notice."  
  
"No problem," Fred laughed. "We could have arranged for skinny dipping if you really wanted. I'm sure Ginny wouldn't have minded." The innocent look on his face belied the mischevious glint in his eyes as he watched Harry do his best to ignore the comment. The Alicia and Hermione had no such compunctions as they began to splash him mercilessly.  
  
"Be nice, Fred," Angelina admonished him, her hands planted on her hips.  
  
"He is being nice," George defended his brother. "He's just trying to help Gi...." George's voice trailed off as he glanced over at his sister who had just taken off her jumper and was moving towards the water. "Virginia Weasley! Put...put some clothes on for crying out loud!"  
  
So much for going unnoticed, Ginny thought to herself wryly. Doing her best to remain nonchalant, despite her bright red cheeks, Ginny kept walking into the water, not looking at anyone. She could feel everyone's eyes on her. "I am wearing clothes," she said defiantly. "This is my swimsuit."  
  
"But, but...it's...it's..too small," Ron sputtered. "It barely covers..."  
  
Ginny hazard a glance about the grotto. Hermione, Angelina and Alicia were grinning at her in encouragement, obviously enjoying her brothers' discomfort. Fred, George and Ron were looking shocked and scandalized, there mouths gaping like fish as they tried to think of something to say. But Harry's expression was priceless. She only hazarded a brief glance in his direction, but his look of stunned admiration was enough to make the whole trudge through the dungeon and any teasing her brother's might send her way, worth it. He looked as if he had only just noticed that she was a girl - and that he liked what he saw.  
  
Taking courage, Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother. "Well, it fit last time I wore it. A new bathing suit isn't high on my list of priorities, especially in February." She smiled innocently at them. "I suppose I could just go in my underwear, like Harry." She sank into the water with a small sigh of contentment. She heard Harry swallow loudly from 10 feet away. She fought the urge to giggle. Maybe a two piece wasn't such a bad idea after all - if it would get Harry to notice her.  
  
"Well, it might cover more of you," Fred said indignantly, sounding eerily like Mrs. Weasley.  
  
Fighting an impish grin, Ginny sighed and stood up, the water coming to just below her chest. "Okay, if you insist...." She reached behind her back, pretending to undo her bikini top. "But I think you might be wrong..."  
  
"NO!" Fred, George, and Ron yelled in unison, staring at Ginny with shocked expressions.  
  
Angelina, Alicia and Hermione couldn't hold back their laughter any more.  
  
"Honestly," Hermione giggled, smiling at Ginny.   
  
"Really Fred," Angelina chimed in, her arms wrapping around his neck, trying to pull his attention away from his sister. "Ginny's suit is almost exactly like mine," she pointed out, "and you seemed to like it just fine."  
  
"Well, that was before I saw it on my little sister," Fred said, still looking a bit put out. "I don't want some guy looking at my sister and thinking what I think when I see you....." he trailed off, realizing what he had inadvertantly let slip.  
  
Angelina raised an inquiring eyebrow. "And just what do you think, Mr. Weasley?"  
  
Recovering his composure, Fred grinned. "Hmmm, how about I show you....." And he picked her up and carried her deeper into the pool.   
  
"Just stay in the water," Ron told Ginny, not paying any attention to Fred and his girlfriend.   
  
"Yes, brother dear," Ginny replied cheekily as she swam accross the pool to the far wall.  
  
"Deep water," Ron instructed huffily.  
  
"Honestly, Ron," Hermione laughed, turning to follow Ginny.  
  
The three remaining boys watched the girls swim away. George caught the way Harry's eyes followed Ginny. He nudged him in the ribs, trying to get his attention. After a moment Harry glanced up briefly, barely able to take his eyes off Ginny. "Huh?" he asked absently, his mind still focused on the way Ginny had looked. Wizarding robes concealed a lot, he realized.  
  
"She's our little sister," George said softly, no hint of joking in his eyes. "So just watch what you're thinking!"  
  
Startled, Harry looked up at George, blushing profusely. "I, uh..." he stammered.  
  
George cracked a small grin at seeing Harry so flustered. "Hands to yourself, mate," he said. "She's got six older brothers, remember."  
  
Harry nodded, swallowing hard and then started swimming in the opposite direction of the girls. Maybe he should go find that cooler current. He definitly needed some time to cool off. 


	4. The Fun's Over

Chapter 4  
  
They spent an enjoyable time laughing and splashing in the water. The boys found a ledge and they took turns seeing who could splash out the most candles. Ron was the victor. With his lanky body he was able to perform a rather nice jack-knife that extinguished all ten of the hovering candles. The girls spent their time lounging on their towels watching the boys.  
  
A game of Marco Polo ended with much laughter when one of the twins pushed Ginny into Harry, who was 'it.' Harry blushed scarlet as he inadvertantly got a handful of something very soft. Ginny let out a startled gasp and disappeared across the pool. Fred and George then preceded to attack Harry for groping their sister. It was all done in fun, and Harry managed to swim away easily once Angelina and Alicia entered the fray, determined to save their Seeker.  
  
It wasn't until their stomachs reminded them that they needed food that they decided to go back to the main part of the castle. Gathering their clothes and towels the boys crawled through to the antechamber, giving the girls the privacy, and warmth, of the warm chamber to change in.  
  
"That was fun," Ron said as he toweled off his hair. "I have to admit, I didn't trust you at first, but thanks for inviting us."  
  
George smiled. "It was our pleasure, little brother. We saw you checking out Hermione...spent a lot of time - talking - with her, didn't you?"  
  
Ron blushed. "We just talked - like we always do."  
  
Harry smiled knowingly. He had seen how Ron's jaw had dropped as he watched Hermione lay out on the sand. Harry had tried to engage him in a talk about Quiditch, but even that hadn't gotten his attention. Now if he would just do something about his little attraction...  
  
"What are you smiling at Potter?" Fred interrupt Harry's thought. "Thinking about our little sister?" he asked menacingly.  
  
Startled, Harry looked around at three Weasley males who were suddenly staring at him. "What? No, no...I wasn't ..." he stuttered uncomfortable, feeling his cheeks warm. "I wasn't thinking about Ginny."  
  
George frowned. "And why not? Isn't she good enough for you? Not pretty enough for the great Harry Potter?" he demanded, his hands on his hips.  
  
"Uh," he backed up a step, wishing desperately that he was wearing more than a towel so that he could make a run for it if necessary. "She's very pretty and she looked...very..uh...nice today."  
  
"Oh, so now you're checking out our little sister?" Fred rounded on him again. "What do you think you are doing?"  
  
Harry was now backed fully against the wall, two Weasley brothers looking at him with threatening expressions. He had no idea what to say. Of course he had checked out Ginny while they were swimming! What red blooded teenage boy wouldn't? She had looked stunning in her emerald green bikini, her wet hair slicked back away from her face, her cheeks flushed from the heat of the water, her eyes sparkling with mischief....of course he had noticed! He also had noticed how...soft...she had felt in his arms the two times he had caught her during one of their water fights, but he wasn't about to admit that to her brothers. He didn't have a death wish. "I, uh..." he swallowed hard. "Look, guys...."  
  
"Oh leave him alone, you two," Ron called from the other side of the chamber, shaking his head in amusement.  
  
Fred and George glared for a moment more, then burst into laughter. "Oh mate, you should have seen your face!" Fred said, clapping him on the shoulder hard enough to make Harry stumble a bit.  
  
Harry felt himself turn bright red. "Yeah, sure," he laughed half heartedly, breathing a sigh of relief. Unsteadily he reached for his trousers.  
  
Ron walked over, already dressed. "Don't let those gits bother you," he told his friend. "I know you don't have any interest in Ginny. They just like to tease."  
  
Harry gave Ron a funny look. Why did he sound so sure that Harry couldn't have any feelings for Ginny? True, he had never really thought about it before this summer, but...she had been doing funny things to his insides lately. And seeing her in that swimsuit...What exactly were his feelings for Ginny, he mused.  
  
"You okay?" Ron asked, seeing the expression on Harry's face.  
  
"Uh, yeah," Harry recovered. "I was just wishing I had brought another pair of boxers."  
  
Ron laughed, slapping him on the back - his shoulder was going to be a bit sore, Harry thought absently. He was just about to say something when shrill screams came echoing through the crevice leading to the pool.  
  
"What the Hell?!" Fred exclaimed.  
  
Harry didn't even pause to think. He grabbed his robe and started crawling through, Ron right behind him.  
  
"I thought you said this place was safe," Harry heard Ron yell, as he climbed out of the crevice, digging through the robe to find his wand. It wasn't there, he realized belatedly. He must have grabbed Ron's robes on accident.  
  
"It is!" Fred's voice echoed back. "Or atleast, it was."  
  
George was the last one through. "Where are they?" he asked, an edge to his voice.  
  
"Don't know," Harry answered back. Towels, swimsuits and various articles of clothes were scattered about the beach. He could see Hermione's shoes perched on the rock where she had placed them earlier. Where could they have gone...and who took them?  
  
"Over here!" George called out. He had walked along the small ledge they had used for diving. "I found one of my socks."  
  
Fred and Ron nodded in understanding, but Harry just looked at them, confused. "I don't understand."  
  
"It's Ginny," Ron said, explaining to Harry as the twins began to investigate this new crevice. "She's always stealing our socks - says girl socks are too frilly and don't keep her feet warm. If a sock is way over here, then that's the way they must have gone...or been taken," he added quietly.  
  
"It's pretty narrow at first," George's voice called back, "but then it widens. It looks like something was pulled through here...it's pretty mucky."  
  
Without hesitation they climbed in, determined to get to the girls. The crevice was indeed tight, and once it widenedut into a fairly decent sized tunnel it was quite muddy and slimey. They crawled quickly, their knees bearing the brunt of the exertion. The tunnel was by no means smooth. Occasionally they thought they heard someone, or something moving far ahead of them, but it was hard to tell over the sounds of their own panting breaths.  
  
Suddenly the tunnel floor dipped sharply downward into a steep slide. Unable to control themselves they slid down at an ever increasing rate, the muck and mud making it impossible for them to gain any traction. It seemed to go on for miles, much farther than when Ron and Harry had found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. The slide was long and twisted, and becoming increasingly colder as the descended. Then, just as suddenly as it ended they were plunged into freezing cold water.   
  
Harry had a brief seconds' notice and he covered his eyes, holding his glasses securely to his face. He'd be no help to Ginny and the others, if he was blind. There was just enough light left to let them see that they had been dumped into a large lake. But as Harry scanned the shoreline looking for a familiar landmark, a glimpse of red caught his eye. Ginny!  
  
The girls were floating not 10 feet away, unmoving in the water. Without a word they swam to them quickly. Harry was already numb from the cold, but he knew he had to get to Ginny. He couldn't tell if she was breathing as he dragged her to the shore; his heart was beating loudly in his chest...what if...? He could see his rising panic mirrored in Ron's eyes as he pulled Hermione up onto the muddy shore next to them.  
  
Resting his hand on her chest, Harry lowered his ear to her mouth, listen for her breath. He could feel her heart beating strongly beneath his hand, which should have been reassuring enough, but he didn't relax until he felt her exhale softly against his cheek. He could have kissed her right then.  
  
Knowing that she was alive, he looked around. Hermione appeared to be breathing, as did Angelina and Alicia, but they were all unconscious. He briefly checked for some kind of head injury but could find none. He started shivering. He was not prepared for this. It was the middle of February, he was soaking wet, sitting in the mud beside a icy lake, wearing only a pair of trousers. Ginny wasn't much better off, with only socks, trousers and a t-shirt. Her skin was a light shade of blue and her lips were turning purple. She had to be freezing, he realized as he shivered again. Why wasn't she shivering too? Harry remembered reading something about shivering being the body's defense mechanism to keep itself warm...and Ginny wasn't shivering...that had to be a bad sign. He began to briskly rub her arms.  
  
"What now?" Ron chattered from behind him. He had pulled Hermione into his arms and was rubbing her back, her brown hair drapped limply over his arm.  
  
"I don't know," Harry replied, pulling Ginny into his arms, too. Maybe if they shared body heat, he thought. Harry laughed inwardly. They were both ice cubes, not much body heat in them. He could barely feel his fingers and couldn't feel his toes at all.   
  
This was not good. 


	5. Warming up

Chapter 5  
  
"Anyone got a wand?" Fred called out. "Mine got snapped."  
  
"Lost mine on the slide somewhere," George replied, Alicia craddled in his arms.  
  
"Nope," Ron answered, "Dropped it. I couldn't drag Hermione and carry it too...my hands were too numb."  
  
"Harry?" Fred looked at him expectantly, his face as white as snow, his freckles standing out in sharp relief.  
  
Sheepishly, Harry shook his head. "Still in the ch...chamb..ber," he shivered. The wind was bitingly cold on his bare skin. "I grabbed the wr...wrong..r r..robe."  
  
What were they going to do now? The question hung in the air between them. They were soaking wet and freezing cold and they had no idea what was wrong with the girls. Without wands they couldn't start a fire, dry their clothes, or signal for help.  
  
"Hey! Is that a path," Ron motioned, pointing to a break in the brambles 10 feet from the water's edge.  
  
"Looks like it," Fred answered, already standing and hoisting Angelina in his arms. "Let's go." George and Ron began to stand and follow.  
  
"How do we know it's safe?" Harry asked, though he had already picked up Ginny, surprised at how light she felt, despite her wet hair and clothes.  
  
"We don't," George answered back. "But I don't care. Anything is better than sitting here freezing to death. Someone made this path and hopefully that someone is near with a roaring fire and hot tea."  
  
They didn't talk any more as the trudged up the path. Harry didn't even want to think of the damage he was doing to his feet. He could barely feel them as he walked. Unlike the others, he hadn't managed to get his shoes and socks on. After a few minutes, Ginny became heavier in his arms. She still hadn't stirred and Harry was becoming more worried. His arms were beginning to tremble with the strain and sweat was pouring down his face, though he was still shivering with cold. Ron looked to be in about the same predicament, stumbling occasionally over nothing at all.  
  
After what seemed like an hour, but was probably only ten minutes, Fred let out a hoarse cry. Rounding a bend, Harry saw what had caused his excitement. In the middle of a small clearing stood a small cabin. There was no smoke coming from the chimney and the windows were all dark, but it had four walls, a roof, and a stack of firewood on the porch. They were saved.  
  
Gently laying Angelina down, Fred tried the doorknob. Locked. Picking up a piece of wood, he broke one of the panes of glass in the door. Reaching in he unlocked the door as quickly as his trembling hands would allow. With relief they stepped inside, grateful to be out of the chilling wind.  
  
"Perfect," George declared, setting Alicia down on one of six beds in the small room. "This must be some kind of hunting cabin."  
  
"I don't care what it is," Fred said, stumbling in with Angelina finally. "It's got a fireplace and beds."  
  
"We have to get them warm," Ron finally spoke up, gently laying down his burden. "Hermione is practically blue."  
  
"Strip them and put them in bed," Fred responded, already tugging at Angelina's clothes.  
  
"What?!" Ron and Harry yelped.  
  
George managed to smile shakily at the two startled boys, his trembling fingers already working on Alicia's buttons. "We have to get them out of these wet clothes. Put them in bed and cover them with as many blankets as you can. Then we can start a fire - I hope."  
  
"Body heat," Fred chimed in, for once totally serious. "Once we get them in bed and the fire started we have got to get warm too. Damnit!" he exclaimed in frustration. "I can't feel my bloody fingers!" He looked up at Ron and Harry who were just staring at him. "Get a move on it, you two. We don't want them freezing to death while you two get over your embarrassment." It scared Harry to realize that the twins were no longer joking or offering up some lecherous innuendo regarding the girls. He had thought that nothing was too serious for them to joke about, but if they weren't joking, then the situation had to be pretty dire  
  
Harry glanced over at Ron, who simply shrugged before turning to Hermione. Fred was right, there was no time to be embarrassed, but it still felt strange. With silent apology to Ginny, Harry began to take off her t-shirt. Then he sat her up, her weight resting on him as he reached behind her to undo her bra. His face felt hot as he fumbled with the hooks. He'd never done this before - he barely even knew what a bra looked like. He wouldn't have known if it snapped, hooked, or even zipped if it wasn't for the fact that Fred and George had gone on a raid of the laundry room last term and stolen all the under things of the Gryffindor females and then tried to auction them off. He finally got it undone and gently laid her down again, trying very hard not to look at anything he shouldn't. He kept on waiting for her to wake up and slap him or something.  
  
Pulling off her trousers was definitely the hardest thing. He could hear the others swearing, too. Wet denim just wasn't easy to grasp - especially when your fingers were frozen stiff. He couldn't control the shivers that were racking his body, though struggling to pull off them off did warm him up a bit. He couldn't hold back his small, strangled laugh as he moved to remove her socks. She was wearing two pair, or what would have been two pair, if she hadn't lost one back in the tunnel.  
  
"What?" Ron asked. He had managed to undress Hermione and was smoothing the covers over her. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Uh, nothing," Harry replied sheepishly. "I just noticed she's wearing two pairs of socks."  
  
Ron smiled weakly. "That's Ginny for you. What now?" he demanded, turning to look at Fred and George.  
  
Harry got up and pulled another duvet from the bed next to Ginny. She looked so pale her skin was translucent. How would he ever get her warm enough?  
  
"Harry!" Fred called accross the room. "Can you start a fire? None of us have ever done it without a wand."  
  
"I think so." He stood up and walked over to the large fireplace. There were matches on the mantle, paper piled in a bin, and a fair sized stack of firewood. It had been years since he'd built a fire, but he was pretty sure he could do it. "We're going to need more wood if we're going to get this place warm and keep it that way for any length of time."  
  
"I'm on it," Ron said, moving towards the door. The cold blast of air that rushed through the room when the door opened was not welcomed. Harry shivered, accidentally dropping the matches. He could hear the others moving about the room as he concentrated on getting a fire started. Ron doggedly brought in load after load of wood. George was hanging the girls' clothes on the mantle and draping them on chairs to dry. Fred had found some towels in a cupboard and a kettle, but no food.   
  
Once the fire was started, after attempting to light over 10 matches with his numbed hands, Harry sat back on his haunches and sighed. Now there was hope. They would at least be warm, and soon there would be some hot tea - or rather, water - to drink. He looked over at Ginny's pale, motionless form. If only the girls would wake up.  
  
George handed him a towel, as he stood stiffly. "Cover Ginny's hair. It always takes forever to dry and she'll be cold enough as it is." Harry nodded. Awkwardly he arranged the towel, turban style around Ginny's head. It wasn't exactly stylish, but it would have to do. "Now what?" he asked, still perched on the side of the bed. He softly stroked Ginny's cheek, hoping for some reaction from her.  
  
"Now," George answered, "Take off your clothes and get into bed with my sister."  
  
"What?!" Harry exclaimed, shocked to see the twins peeling their wet clothes off and laying them near the fire.  
  
Fred tried to smile, his lips an unpleasant shade of blue. "No time to be embarrassed mate. They need to get warm, and so do we. The best way to do that is with body heat." He threw a towel at Harry. "Just do it. You can wrap yourself up in a towel if it will make you feel better."  
  
Looking at the towel in his hand and the mound of blankets that covered Ginny it was really no contest in Harry's mind. He so desperately wanted to get warm again that he would have crawled into bed naked with Snape. Ginny was a much better proposition. Besides, he thought ruefully, all this blushing had to be good for his circulation, right?  
  
"If you say so," he said softly, already pulling on the buttons of his jeans, too cold to be nervous or uncomfortable.  
  
Fred gave a shaky laugh as he wrapped a towel around his waist. "This is the only time you will ever hear us tell you to get into bed with our sister. Just mind where you put your hands." Harry gave a hollow laugh, relieved to hear them joking again.   
  
"We'll beat the crap out of you later." George added.   
  
At least he hoped they were joking.  
  
George was climbing into bed as he smiled at Ron. "You, on the other hand, little brother, had better take advantage of this little opportunity."  
  
"Sod off," came Ron's muffled reply from the bed he now shared with Hermione.  
  
Towel firmly tied around his waist, Harry pulled back the covers. The bed was barely big enough for one person, he realized. His four poster seemed huge in comparison. Gingerly he slid into the bed, pulling the duvet over his head. Though her skin was still pale and slightly blue tinged, Ginny felt like a virtual furnace laying next to him. Instinctively he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.   
  
Surviving this and getting warm again were his top priorities. Not even Mr and Mrs Weasley could fault him his motives, but it just seemed wrong to actually be naked in bed with Ginny. He had never in his life been so grateful for a towel. Just this afternoon he had been noticing how attractive and...soft...she was, and now he was actually holding her. He was trying to come up with something to say when she finally woke up, but before he could think of anything decent he drifted off into an exhausted sleep.   
  
This was the last time he followed Fred and George anywhere he promised himself. 


	6. Waking up

Chapter 6  
  
Ginny blearily opened one eye and then shut it again, not quite ready to wake up. She had been having some strange dreams and they had unwillingly roused her to conciousness. For some reason she expected to wake up freezing cold and wet, but instead she was deliciously warm and cozy. Her bed had never felt so good. She snuggled further into it, enjoying the rythmic sound beneath her ear: Lub dub, lub dub. She shifted slightly again, trying to bring herself closer to that soothing sound, but was jerked more fully awake by the painful tingling in her right arm. No wonder she had woken up - her whole arm was asleep from shoulder to fingertips and now that she had moved it, it was waking up painfully.  
  
Wincing, she shifted her weight off her arm, trying to roll onto her back, but something wouldn't let her move. Her eyes shot open in alarm. She was not alone in bed. Trying to control her breathing, she squeezed her eyes shut again, racking her brain for some answers. What the hell had happened? She remembered following Fred and George through the dungeons to the hot water grotto. She remembered swimming and splashing and watching the boys goof around. She definitely remembered the two times Harry had gotten a hold of her while they were horsing around...but the details faded away after that. They had decided to leave and then...nothing. Her mind was a blank. How had she ended up in bed with someone, and who in the world was it?  
  
She was never trusting Fred and George again, and that was that.  
  
She opened her eyes again and found that she couldn't see much, the covers had been drawn over her head. She was laying on her right side, which was why her arm was asleep, and her face was pressed against someone's chest. Whoever he was had his arms wrapped around her and his head resting on top of hers. She could feel his breath ruffling her hair slightly. She shifted slowly, not wanting to wake him - whoever it was, and was shocked to feel how intertwined their legs were, one of his legs resting heavily over one of hers. Ginny felt a blush creeping over her whole body. They were pressed so intimately together, they couldn't get any closer unless there weren't wearing....  
  
Her eyes widened in true panic now. Slowly moving her left arm from around the person's bare back, Ginny gingerly reached to touch her own bare hip. She was naked. Her breath hitched painfully, she had to get out of here. She couldn't be naked in bed with someone. That just wasn't...allowed. How had she gotten here? Where were her clothes? And most importantly - who the hell was she lying here with?   
  
Not wanting to wake her companion - she wasn't ready for a confrontation - Ginny carefully lifted her head, trying to see who he was. Her slight movement caused him to grasp her more tightly, muttering something suspiciously like, "No, not Ginny..." in his sleep.  
  
Ginny froze. She knew that voice. She had dreamed about the voice for years now. But how had she ended up in bed with him and what exactly had they done? Oh god. Her brothers were going to kill him. Then they'd probably kill her too, for good measure. She lay there for a moment, somewhat savoring the feel of Harry holding her, her heart beating wildly in her chest. What to do? She felt him twitch and mumble a few more incoherent words. Steeling herself, Ginny pulled back and peeked up at him, finding herself looking into the greenest eyes she had ever known.  
  
"Harry?" she whispered.  
  
"Hey Gin," he said softly, his eyes still half closed, his arms tightening around her again.  
  
Ginny's voice wouldn't work anymore, so she just stared at him, unable to believe that this was really happening. Harry began to stretch, unconsciously pulling their bodies closer together. He made a little sound in the back of his throat that caused shivers to race up and down her spine, and that was before he pressed his hips against hers. Oh my, she blushed to the roots of her hair. So that was what her brothers called 'morning wood.' She couldn't help letting out a little squeak of surprise at the feeling of him pressing against her belly.  
  
Harry froze for an instant and his eyes snapped open, finally focusing on her stunned face. He let out a little yelp and quickly released her, moving away from her as if he was burned. With a resounding thud he fell out of the bed.  
  
Ginny sat up, clutching the covers to her in defense against the cold rush off air that had invaded their cocoon. "Are you okay?" she asked, peaking over the side at him. She blushed to see him sitting there in only a towel, his hair more tousled than usual, and his face bright red with embarrassment.  
  
"Uh," he cleared his throat, his eyes staring at the floor as he self-consciously fumbled with his towel. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...just fine. I just..forgot." Ginny couldn't hold back a small smile as ran a hand through his hair. She didn't know he could turn that red. He was so adorable when he was embarrassed.  
  
"Harry," she heard Ron call out from somewhere nearby. "You okay?"  
  
Harry hung his head, turning even redder if possible. "Fine, Ron. Ginny's awake."  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
"Yes Ron?" she replied, looking about the room and seeing the wet clothes draped everywhere. What was going on?  
  
"You okay?"  
  
"I...I'm fine," she answered.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"What?" she squeaked, glancing down at Harry only to see him staring back at her.  
  
"Back at the Grotto," came Ron's exasperated reply. "I do not want to know what made Harry fall out of bed."  
  
"Oh, but I do," came Fred's disembodied voice. Ginny would bet his smile was a mile wide as he snickered softly.  
  
Ginny didn't think it was possible for either she or Harry to turn any redder, but they did. "Fred? Is everyone else here?"  
  
"All present and accounted for," George answered. "You are the first to wake up, though. Angelina, Alicia and Hermione are still out cold." He paused. "Did you really have to throw Harry out of bed, Gin? After all, he worked real hard to save your life." This time she heard all her brothers laughing at her.  
  
"I didn't mean...he...oh never mind!" she said, flustered. "What happened? How did we get here?"  
  
"You don't remember?" Harry finally spoke. Ginny glanced down at him, seeing him shiver in his towel and felt instantly sorry for him.  
  
"No," she shook her head. "I remember being in the grotto, and deciding to leave and then...nothing."  
  
"Oh well," Fred said, yawning. "We'll wait for the girls to wake up and see what they remember. I'm going back to sleep. Night all."  
  
"Harry, mate," George called. "Put another log on the fire, would you? And then get back into bed - you're going to freeze to death sitting on the floor like that. I'm sure Ginny won't bite," he sniggered.  
  
"Leave them alone," Ron defended his friend.. "It's only Ginny, after all."  
  
Ginny scowled over at her brother. She could have cheerfully killed him right then. 'Only Ginny.' The stupid git. Harry gave her an odd look before he stood and walked over to the fire. How could her brothers be so annoying? 


	7. Pillow Talk

Chapter 7  
  
Harry took his time adding wood to the fire. He just didn't know if he could go back to the bed with Ginny, even though the warm blankets and the idea of Ginny's warm body pressed against him was more than a little appealing. He had never been so embarrassed in his life. He remembered how tightly he had been holding her earlier, how he had stretched and pressed against her before he was fully awake. From the small squeak that she gave and the shocked expression on her face he knew she had felt his...well, yeah. How was he supposed face her now? He was sure that it was a natural response to waking up with a naked girl in his arms, hell, he often had the same response when he was in bed - alone. Guys just do. It's a waking up thing, but how could he tell Ginny that?  
  
'Gee, sorry that I had a hard on when I woke up, Gin, but it had nothing to do with you. Happens all the time.' That would go over really well. He'd seen the hurt look on her face when Ron had made his last comment. As if it only being Ginny made any difference to Harry. She wasn't his sister after all.   
  
She had actually felt very pleasant in his arms; warm and soft in all the right places. But these weren't the thoughts to be thinking if he was ever going to get back into bed with her. He looked down at the hearth rug - it didn't look too comfortable, but if he took one of the duvets he could curl up in that, and if he stayed close enough to the fire he might avoid the worst of the draft coming in from the door. It wasn't as appealing as Ginny, but it might be safer. Not that he would ever try anything with Ginny - especially with three of her brothers in the room. He just didn't want to embarrass himself any further. It had felt so nice to wake up with her....  
  
"Harry," Ginny's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. "Come back to bed."  
  
A strange prickling sensation ran through his body and centered somewhere in the pit of his stomach at her whispered words. He knew she was only speaking so softly because she didn't want her brothers to overhear. He knew that she didn't mean to sound so...sexy. She was only 14...almost 15 years old. She wasn't doing it on purpose, but Harry couldn't stop himself from reacting. No, no, he told himself. It was much better that he sleep in front of the fire. Much safer. Definitely.  
  
"I, uh..." he began, his voice cracking for the first time in months. He was sure he heard one of the twins laughing softly as he cleared his throat nervously. "I can stay...here. The rug's not bad and I can, uh, take a blanket and..." He continued to stare into the fire, his body strangely hot and cold. Cold despite the fire not a foot in front of him; hot from his reaction to Ginny, only 10 feet away - waiting for him in bed - naked.  
  
"Harry," she responded, sounding slightly exasperated with him. He could just imagine the way she would be rolling her eyes, her head cocked slightly to left as she looked at him. "Even with the fire going it's freezing in here...and you're only wearing a towel."  
  
That's brilliant Gin, he thought absently, feeling his cheeks flush, let's just state the obvious. And what exactly are you wearing? Oh, that's right - nothing! He swallowed hard. Yes, definitely better to stay here. "Well..." he started, trying to think of something that would convince her that he actually wanted to sleep on the hearth rug. Maybe she hadn't felt his...arousal and she didn't know how awkward he felt.  
  
"You didn't mind being in bed with me earlier," she said softly in a slightly hurt tone. "What's changed now?"   
  
Oh great, now he had hurt her feelings. He had seen how hurt and angry she had been by Ron's 'only Ginny,' comment, and now he was only adding to it by avoiding her. "Well, you... you're awake now," he stammered, a shiver running through his body "and warm..and it's not, well, I don't...uh..."  
  
"Harry...." she pouted. Harry couldn't help glancing over at her.  
  
He'd known her long enough to recognize the petulant expression on her face, and the twinkle in her eyes. She was teasing him. The little imp knew exactly how embarrassed he was - and why - yet she was practically taunting him.   
  
"Harry, you great prat," Fred called out. "For the last time, get in bed with my sister! It's your job to keep her warm. If she comes down with so much as a sniffle because you're being so noble, we will hold you personally responsible and deal with you accordingly."  
  
Harry looked over at Ginny, his eyebrow raised in question. That sounded like an order to him. Ginny grinned shyly back, patting the bed next to her.  
  
"Just mind where you put your hands, Potter," George called out. Both he and Fred started laughing.  
  
Ginny blushed as red as Harry had ever seen her. "Sod off you two." She looked over at Harry. "Well, it's looks like it's your duty..."  
  
"Yeah," Harry smiled, winking at Ginny, though he couldn't control the blush that was covering his features. "If I must." He bent down to add one more log to the fire.  
  
Fred had to get in one last barb. "Don't hurt him, Gin. Leave that to us."  
  
"Mind your own business!" Ginny called back. "At least I'm concisous, while poor Angelina is still out cold. Some hero you turned out to be."   
  
Fred sat up on his elbow, looking speculatively at Harry now. "So then, O Wise One," he asked. "What exactly did you do to get Ginny to wake up? Kiss her? Is that why she kicked you out of bed?"  
  
Harry rolled his eyes, knowing that Fred was just teasing him, and tried to react smoothly, but failed miserably as he blushed even more. "No, I didn't...."   
  
"Leave him alone, already," Ron said grumpily, coming to his friend's rescue again. "The poor git can't turn any redder. Now can we please go back to sleep? It's the middle of the night, for pete's sake!"  
  
"But Ron," George whined, drawing at his brother's name in a sing-song voice. "We want to know."  
  
Ginny fell back onto the bed in exasperation, staring up at the ceiling in obvious frustration. "I just woke up. Harry didn't do anything. Now go to sleep and leave us alone." She turned her head to look at Harry, her red hair spread all around her head and shoulders like fire. "Sorry," she mouthed softly to him.  
  
Harry stared at her for a moment, mesmerized by the sight she made, pale skin and fiery hair. "No problem," he finally responded with a small smile. If she could bluster through this, then so could he. "It's actually a relief to hear them joking around again. They weren't earlier and...well, it kind of scared me," he said, shrugging slightly. "It had to be serious if Fred and George weren't cracking jokes." He started walking to the bed.  
  
"Uh, Harry," Ginny said, sitting up in bed again, the duvet clutched to her chest. "While you're over there...are any of my clothes dry? My feet are freezing and, well, some underwear would be nice." Harry noticed her downcast eyes and red cheeks. Yes, he agreed silently, underwear would be very nice.  
  
He turned and walked over to the mantle, checking the clothes. "All the socks are pretty wet, but your uh, underwear is, uh dry," he swallowed awkwardly, holding the white cotton item gingerly. "Your bra is still pretty damp though, but if you want..."  
  
Ginny gave an exaggerated shudder. "No, I don't want to put on anything that's damp. I'm cold enough as it is."  
  
"You're cold?" Harry asked.  
  
Ginny nodded. "Well, yes. It's drafty in here - as I'm sure you've noticed. And, well," she stammered. "You were keeping me pretty warm."  
  
He walked over and handed her her underwear. "Well, I don't want you to catch a sniffle," he smiled. He turned around so that she could put them on, trying not to think about what she was doing as he listened to the rustling of the duvets.  
  
"Do I want to know how you were able to pick out my underwear and bra from the selection hanging over there, Mr Potter?" Ginny teased him, her voice barely above a whisper.  
  
Harry smiled softly but didn't turn to face her yet. "Well, someone had to be the one to take it off you, Miss Weasley," he replied smoothly through his embarrassment.  
  
"Oh..." Ginny stammered, her cheeks turning pink once again as she thought about what he had just said. She smirked up at him. "I guess I deserved that, didn't I?" she said softly. He had finally gotten her back for her little 'Come to bed' routine. She cleared her throat. "I'm, uh, ready...if you want to get in bed now."  
  
"'Bout bloody time!" Fred called.  
  
"Shut it, Fred," Ginny called back, smiling.  
  
Trying to control his shivers, Harry sat down on the bed beside her. It was one thing to bluster through all her teasing, it was a totally different matter to actually get in bed with her. "Uh, how...?" he whispered. "There's not much room."  
  
Ginny, still perched on one elbow looked up at him shyly. "Well, we could do it like before, or we could...uh...spoon." She started blushing again. "I don't think there's enough room for both of us to lie on our backs and besides, that isn't very warm."  
  
Harry reclined gingerly, trying not to focus on the warm body inches away from him. "Spoon?" he asked softly. He had no idea what she was talking about.  
  
Ginny didn't give a response but turned over, her back to him. Oh no, Harry thought in a mild panic. I've said something to upset her. But before he could think of apologizing for whatever his slight was, Ginny began wiggling back towards him, grabbing his right arm and dragging it over her side so that his hand rested, entwined with hers, under her chin. Somewhat shocked by her movements, Harry realized his forearm was resting between her breasts. "Harry, you're freezing," she said, chaffing his arm softly and wiggling against him some more.  
  
Awkwardly, Harry slid an arm under her head and pulled her closer to his chest. He couldn't hold back his sigh of contentment. "God, Gin, you are so warm."  
  
Ginny giggled softly. "Well my feet aren't!" She shift her legs against his, straightening her bottom leg down and backwards until Harry had no choice but to lay his left leg over her bottom leg rather than fall off the bed. She was now effectively sitting on his lap, his body leaning onto hers, touching from hip to toe. Harry shuddered, but it wasn't from the cold. So long as she stopped wiggling he would be fine, he thought hopefully. And so long as he kept his mind occupied with...other things, like Snape, and potions, and...Snape.   
  
She yelped softly when Harry's cold foot came into contact with her shin.  
  
"Sorry," Harry muttered into her hair, shifting his foot away.  
  
"S'alright," Ginny replied, smiling softly.  
  
They settled down, letting their bodies slowly warm up. Both enjoying the presence of the other. After a while, Harry no longer had to recite potions ingredients. His body had become used to Ginny's and she had stopped wiggling her bottom, so he didn't think he'd embarrass himself anytime soon.  
  
"Ginny?" he whispered later, unable to sleep.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you really not remember what happened?"  
  
Ginny sighed, her fingers absently playing with his. "No, I don't. I remember getting to the grotto and playing around, and then deciding to leave. Then the next thing I remember is waking in a panic because I was in bed - naked - with someone!" she laughed softly, her breath tickling the sensitive skin on the back of Harry's hand.  
  
Harry felt himself blushing. "Sorry about that. It was Fred and George's idea. It seemed the best way to get you warm. We couldn't just stand around in wet clothes..."  
  
"I know Harry," Ginny replied, squeezing his hand. "I'm not complaining. You did what you had to do and I'm grateful. And so are my brothers - no matter what they say." Harry didn't respond, but tightened his hold on her briefly. "How'd we get here?" Ginny finally asked after a few minutes.  
  
Harry shuddered slightly at the fear he had felt, when he had first entered the empty grotto. Until now he hadn't really had time to process the emotions he had been feeling. He had been too busy staying alive and warm to think about anything else. And when he had finally warmed up, he was too exhausted to do anything but sleep. But now.....   
  
"I was so scared, Ginny," he finally admitted softly. "We heard you guys screaming and when we got there, not 10 seconds later, you were just...gone. Clothes, robes, towels...just scattered everywhere, but no sign of any of you. And then we found the tunnel, it was...it reminded me..." he paused, unsure of whether he should tell her or not, but Ginny squeezed his hand encouragingly. "It was like the tunnel to the Chamber of Secrets," he finally admitted, "but much, much longer." This time Ginny shuddered involuntarily, and Harry held her tightly. "In the end we got dumped into a lake...and there you were...floating in the water. Not moving."   
  
He pressed his face into her hair, breathing deeply. It smelled slightly murky, from the lake, but there was still that underlying scent of apples that was Ginny. It was refreshingly alive and vibrant to his senses. She could have easily have drowned, he knew. What scared him most was he didn't know how deeply the loss of her would affect him - until it was staring him in the face. She had become an integral part of him, as much as Ron or Hermione, in the short time that they had been friends.  
  
"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered, cradling his arm as if she were holding all of him.  
  
Harry chuckled, forcing himself out of his melancholy thoughts. "It's not your fault," he said, absently kissing her shoulder blade. She shivered briefly and he wondered if it was from the cold or if she, too, felt that shock that coursed through him as his lips touched her skin. "Anyway," he continued, clearing his throat softly. "Ron found a path that led to this cabin. We got you out of your wet clothes and...here we are. Waiting for rescue or our clothes to dry. Whatever comes first."  
  
"How long have we been here?"  
  
"I reckon it's late Saturday night or early Sunday morning," Harry replied after a moment's thought.  
  
Ginny sighed deeply. "So much for Valentine's Day," she said softly.  
  
Harry stiffened slightly, his stomach wrenching violently. "So, expecting a Valentine, were you?" he teased as he forced himself to relax once more. It didn't matter to him whether she was expecting a Valentine from some other boy. It didn't matter. Really.  
  
Ginny's soft laugh was reassuring. "No, I wasn't expecting one, but there's always hope," she added lightly. "Actually, I was looking forward to dinner...the puddings are always good on Valentine's Day. And I wanted to see if Becca received something from Michael."  
  
Harry smiled. "Well, for what it's worth: Happy Valentine's Day, Gin."  
  
"Thanks Harry," Ginny replied, her fingers still absently stroking his from his palm to the tips. "Happy Valentine's Day to you, too."   
  
Suddenly she chuckled, the sound combined with the movement of her fingers on his caused a bolt of pleasure to course down Harry's spine. She really had to stop doing that, Harry thought as he minutely shifted his hips away from her. "What?" he questioned, trying to focus on anything but what she was doing.  
  
He could practically hear her smiling. "Well, it's been such a strange day. I never would have expected to spend Valentine's Day in bed with you - well, at least not for another four or five years." Her fingers abruptly stilled as she realized what she had just said. Harry forgot to breath, he was so shocked. 'Th..that's not what I meant," she stammered quickly, her body suddenly tense in his arms. "I meant I didn't expect to spend Valentine's Day in bed with anyone for four or five years. I didn't mean you, as you in particular, I meant you as in....oh god...." she trailed off with a groan.  
  
Harry couldn't help smiling broadly at her embarrassment. "I see," he said suggestively.  
  
"Oh Harry, you wretch," Ginny cried softly in exasperation. "You know what I mean. I didn't mean you in particular, I just meant anyone...you know, a boyfriend, or...whatever, and maybe in four or five years...."  
  
Harry could hold back his laughter now. It was rare that he saw her so flustered, and she had definitely said more than she meant. Ginny's not so gentle elbow to the ribs didn't put a stop to his mirth, either. "So, you're going to wait until you're out of Hogwarts before you start your career as a scarlet woman?" he asked impishly.  
  
Ginny gasped in shock. "Harry Potter, stop teasing me. You know exactly what I mean!"  
  
Harry kissed her shoulder again in silent apology. "Yes, I do...but it was just too good to pass up."  
  
"It's late," Ginny replied huffily, her body still rather stiff in his arms. "We should sleep."  
  
Harry smiled softly, still chuckling over her inadvertent comment. He knew she didn't mean it the way it sounded, but it was just too funny. When he had finally gotten control of himself he noticed that she was still lying stiffly in his arms. Uh oh. He must have really embarrassed her. How could they sleep if she was upset with him?  
  
"Gin?" he whispered softly, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry I laughed at you." It was a sincere apology. He never would have laughed if he knew it was going to hurt her.  
  
"It's okay," she finally replied. "It was pretty funny." He could hear the smile in her voice. Unlike Ron, Ginny was able to laugh at her own foibles now and then. He knew that he was truly forgiven when she finally relaxed and snuggled back against his chest again, her hand once again resting in his.  
  
"Good night, Ginny," Harry whispered softly, closing his eyes and breathing deeply.  
  
"Good night, Harry. Sweet dreams."  
  
  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
  
Epilogue to follow 


	8. Epilogue

Harry woke up with his body aching and chills running up and down his limbs. Where had all the warmth gone, he wondered, absently spitting out some of Ginny's hair. At some point during the night they had rolled over and she now lay sprawled across his chest, one leg swung up high over his hips. Gently he pushed her knee further down his legs, his face flushing uncomfortably hot. He did not want to be embarrassed again. He didn't think he could live through another repeat performance of their earlier awakening. It was just too cold to get out of bed.  
  
Ginny didn't seem to mind his repositioning of her leg. She barely even moved, only burrowing her head further into his chest, making small snuffling noises against his shoulder that made Harry smile despite his discomfort.  
  
Another shiver raced through his body, this one sending goose pimples all over his skin. His face felt flushed, though he didn't think it was from embarrassment, but the rest of his body was cold despite the heat radiating out from Ginny's sleeping form. What was wrong with him? He wanted to curl up – preferably around Ginny – and get warm once again, but her prone form lying on top of him was preventing any movement on his part.  
  
The sudden popping sound outside their little cocoon caught his attention. Maybe the fire had gone out and that was why he was so cold. Carefully, so as not to wake Ginny, Harry pulled back the duvet that covered their heads. The room was a light blur. The fire had indeed died, only red ashes were left smoldering softly in the grate, but he didn't need firelight to see. From the amount of light in the room, he guessed that it was early morning; very early morning.  
  
Professor Dumbledore would know that they were missing by now and people would be searching for them. Had they contacted the Weasleys and the Grangers yet? He wondered. He didn't think Dumbledore would contact the Dursleys, but he might have contacted Sirius. The thought caused a sudden bolt of panic to run through him. He knew Sirius would be worried enough to come back and help look for him and that was not good. Harry did not want his godfather to risk his own life just because Harry had been stupid enough to follow Fred and George through the dungeons. He hoped desperately that Dumbledore hadn't told him yet, he didn't want his godfather in danger just because of him.  
  
He frowned. How would they even be found? They had to be miles from Hogwarts. As far as he knew, the twins had told no one about the grotto they had found. Did Dumbledore know about it? He seemed to know everything else about the old castle. But would he think to look there? Were there locating spells that could be used? He tried to think of any he might have heard of during classes, but his mind was working sluggishly.  
  
A small blurry shape came into his vision. Harry had forgotten about the popping noise he had heard, his mind wandering in a haze. It was too small to be any of the others, but still it was a familiar shape. "Dobby?" he called softly, relief and trepidation mixed in his voice.  
  
The elf jumped in surprise, turning to face him.  
  
Harry could make little out without his glasses as the elf moved towards him tentatively, one hand pulling hard on its long ear. It definitely wasn't Dobby, then. Dobby would have jumped all over him, waking up everyone in the cabin, if he were to find Harry. This elf didn't look to be a Hogwarts elf, either. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like it was wearing a pinstriped pillowcase instead of a tea towel. Maybe this was a wizard owned cabin and this elf was preparing it for his masters. Either way, they were rescued.  
  
"Come here," Harry beckoned, his voice hoarse. "We need help. We're from Hogwarts. We need you to contact Professor Dumbledore."  
  
The elf stood before him wringing his or her hands, Harry still couldn't tell its gender, and looking nervously about the room, a low keening sound coming from the back of its throat.  
  
"Hey," Harry reached out a hand towards it, wondering what was wrong. "Can you help us? Please?" Absently he swiped at the hair that was hanging in his eyes. "We need to talk to Professor…."  
  
He stopped abruptly as the elf froze and stared at him, open-mouthed, its large eyes bulging. "Sir…sir…H...Harry P...Potter, sir," it squeaked. "You is here, sir! You is not supposed to be here!" it moaned.  
  
"I know, I'm sorry, but we had no choice. I'm sure we can pay back the owner for the broken window and all. Will you help us?" Harry continued to watch the elf fidget, a shiver running through his body as a cold breeze swept through the room from the broken window.  
  
"You is sick sir!" the elf declared. "I go get help sir!"  
  
"I'm not sick," Harry protested instinctively, but then realized what else the elf had said. "Yeah, go get help. Thank you. Your master can get in touch with Professor Dumbledore at Hogwarts, I'm sure he's looking for us. He'll know what to do."  
  
Ginny began to stir in Harry's arms and a look of panic – or at least what looked like panic to Harry's nearsighted eyes – crossed the elf's face, and it disappeared with a soft 'pop.'  
  
As Ginny stirred, her leg once again rose over his hips, causing Harry to hiss at the sensation. He was cold and achy but his body stilled reacted to her innocent movements, and that was before he felt her nose nuzzling his neck, her soft breath tickling the sensitive hairs on his nape.  
  
Think Snape and potions, he reminded himself. How do you make a potion? What potion? He couldn't think of one! Ginny's leg shifted again and she made a soft sighing sound in the back of her throat. Harry gulped…a potion…any potion.  
  
The Shrinking Solution suddenly came to mind and Harry could help grimacing at the irony. Now how did it begin, he pondered, trying to breathe through his nose. Bring to a rolling boil a base of one part distilled water, one part…dandelion wine, or was that juice? Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on Snape's greasy form lecturing them in third year. It was juice. Add two tablespoons honey and one tablespoon…rat's blood? Add chopped daisy roots.  
  
He could feel it working, he noticed with some relief, he barely noticed the feel of Ginny's nose and mouth pressed against his neck, her soft, warm breath moving tantalizingly over his skin…  
  
One shrivelfig skinned and cut into quarters…  
  
Blearily, Ginny lifted her head and looked around the room, her eyes blinking owlishly. "What's wrong Harry? Why'd you take down the duvet? It's cold."  
  
"Sorry," Harry croaked softly, once again pulling the duvet over their heads.  
  
Two hundred – or was it 300 hundred? – grams of caterpillars sliced….  
  
"S'okay," she mumbled, snuggling even closer to him.  
  
Harry stiffened slightly, willing himself not to react as her hand brushed down his chest to come to rest on his stomach. He had no idea his nipple was that sensitive to touch. He'd never noticed it before - that was for sure.  
  
Snape. Potions. Potion. Shrinking. Add one rat spleen and a dash leech juice or was it one leech and a dash of rat spleen juice? Was there any such thing as rat spleen juice, he wondered wildly?  
  
"Who were you talking to?" Ginny asked huskily, interrupting his confused thoughts, her hand softly stroking his belly, playing with the downy hairs below his navel.  
  
This is not working, Harry realized in a mild panic. He could not simply ignore what Ginny was doing to him  
  
Gently he reached down and stilled her hand. It was either that or embarrass himself by falling out of bed again. His action seemed to wake her a bit and she stiffened, realizing exactly where she was and what she had been doing.  
  
"Sorry," Ginny mumbled, lowering her leg off of Harry and pulling away from him slightly. There wasn't much room for her to maneuver in the tiny bed, especially with him lying flat on his back, but she did her best to give him space.  
  
"S'okay," Harry grinned limply, looking over at her head now resting on the pillow next to his, her cheeks red once again.  
  
Ginny didn't look at him, but instead repeated her question.  
  
"Oh, it was a house elf," he answered. "I don't think if was from Hogwarts, but I couldn't really tell without my glasses." He shrugged. "Probably belongs to whoever owns this cabin. Either way, we're saved."  
  
Ginny frowned. "Harry, this isn't exactly a wizard's cabin," she pointed out, her eyes searching his face.  
  
"I know, but maybe it belongs to a someone who likes to rough it, or maybe a Muggle born." He couldn't control the shiver that went through his body again. He really missed the warmth of Ginny's body pressed close to his.  
  
"Harry are you okay?" Ginny asked, her frown deepening as her eyes studied him.  
  
"I'm fine," Harry answered, another chill running through him. "Just a bit cold."  
  
"Cold?" Ginny asked, her concern evident. "You are radiating heat like a Chinese Fireball, and you're sweating!" Leaning up on one elbow she reached out a hand and placed it on his forehead. It felt nice against his flushed face. "Oh, Harry. You have a temperature!"  
  
"I do?" Harry asked, surprised. He couldn't remember the last time he was sick. He had forgotten what it felt like.  
  
Ginny nodded. She looked decidedly worried as she stared down at him.  
  
"It's okay, Gin," he reassured her. "It's not that bad. I'm just cold, and a bit achy…that's all." He shivered again.  
  
She stared at him for a few moments then a look of determination came into her eyes. "Come here," Ginny said suddenly, pulling at his arm.  
  
"What?" Harry demanded, confused, but letting his body be pulled.  
  
"Come here," she repeated in a no nonsense tone. "If you're cold than I'll help you to get warm again."  
  
Harry felt his cheeks redden, but this time he knew it wasn't from his fever.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "That's not what I meant!" she said, though her cheeks turned red, too. Lying on her side, Ginny pulled Harry into her arms, pillowing his head against her chest. Harry blushed scarlet, but had to admit that he felt warmer than he had, his body able to curl up against hers, her hand rubbing his back soothingly.  
  
"Thanks, Gin," he whispered with a sigh of contentment.  
  
She kissed him on the forehead. "My pleasure." Harry smiled and drifted off to sleep, finally feeling warm again.  
  
*  
  
"I'm tired of telling you this, Miss Weasley. Mr. Potter is just fine," Madame Pomfrey's voice broke through Harry's hazy dreams. "He will wake up when he is ready and not a moment sooner. Now get into bed. You need rest too. No telling what those silly Muggles did to you. I know they mean well, but…" her voice faded as she walked away.  
  
Harry lay there for a long moment trying to gather his hazy thoughts. Obviously he was back at Hogwarts, but how had he arrived there? Why were he and Ginny in the Infirmary? Who were the 'silly Muggles,' and what had they done to them? The last thing he remembered was the house elf leaving and then falling asleep in Ginny's arms, his head pillowed comfortably on her chest as her hands soothed the aches in his back and shoulders.  
  
He felt himself blush remembering what he had seen and touched. How was he ever going to face her again now that they were back at school? In the space of a few hours Harry had got to know Ginny better than he had ever thought possible. It would have been hard enough to talk to her after spending the day at the grotto with her. For the first time he had really seen her as more than 'just Ginny,' Ron's little sister and his friend. He couldn't help noticing how pretty she'd looked and how soft she had felt. She was still the same old Ginny that he had become friends with over the summer, but then again, she was suddenly something much more.  
  
And that was before he had seen her naked and held her in his arms – and vice versa. She had seen – and felt – a lot more of him than he was comfortable with too. Of course, everything that he had done had been necessary to save their lives, but that didn't make him feel any better. There was still this strange feeling of guilt floating in his stomach that was making him feel as if he had…hurt her some how or taken advantage of her in some way. He doubted Ginny would think so, but he couldn't help it. It was there and he had to deal with it and her. This was not going to be easy.  
  
Harry sighed and finally sat up and reached for his glasses. He couldn't pretend to be asleep forever, he was sure she would catch on to that. He would just have to face her and bluster through his embarrassment. Besides, he had some questions he wanted answered, like how did they get back to Hogwarts and what did Muggles have to do with it? He wasn't going to get those answers unless he woke up and asked the questions. He'd just have to hope that he didn't turn too red when he saw Ginny.  
  
"Harry, you're awake!" came Ginny's relieved voice from the bed next to his. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Okay, I guess…" he answered, his voice fading away as he looked over at Ginny perched on her elbow with a worried look on her face. His stomach clenched with guilt momentarily before he managed to push it aside. He hadn't done anything wrong, he reminded himself.  
  
"Are you sure?" Ginny questioned again. "You look really pale." She swung her legs out of bed, obviously wanting to come over to him, but stopped herself.  
  
Harry couldn't keep himself from staring at her bare legs, remembering how smooth they had felt twined with his. Seeing the direction of his gaze, Ginny covered herself again. Their eyes met briefly and their faces turned scarlet. Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably, suddenly fascinated by the portrait of a nurse seeing to the comfort of a sleeping patient. Anything was better than looking at Ginny again. How were they to remain friends when every time he saw her skin he had…thoughts?  
  
"Well, this is uncomfortable," Ginny finally stated in her usual forthright manner.  
  
"Yeah," Harry agreed, sneaking a glance at her. "A bit." He grinned wryly.  
  
"So, how do we get past it?"  
  
"I don't know," Harry admitted. He couldn't help the way his mind reacted when he looked at Ginny. Surprisingly, he wasn't bombarded with images of her naked. His memories were more about how she had felt in his arms and the way she'd smelled of strawberries, and how she'd made little snuffling sounds in her sleep. He remembered how she'd looked, the duvet clutched to her chest, her hair spread about her head like a halo as she told her brothers to sod off. He remembered the twinkle in her eye as she'd asked him, throatily, to come back to bed. How was he going to be able to put all that aside and think of her as Ginny, his friend?  
  
"You know, Hermione's still barely talking to Ron," she told him.  
  
"Huh? What?" Harry asked, his mind elsewhere. "Really? Still?" He couldn't help wondering what day it was. How long had he been asleep?  
  
Ginny nodded, her blush fading to a light pink glow. "Yeah. They've been up here every day after classes. It's really…tense between them. Ron thinks Hermione is upset with him – she certainly acts that way, but I think she's just embarrassed. Alicia, too."  
  
"How are Fred and Angelina?"  
  
Ginny smirked. "Oh, they're fine. I don't think they saw anything they haven't already seen before," she told him with a little giggle.  
  
Harry couldn't help grinning back. "Really? And how would you know that, Miss Weasley," he teased. "Been spying?" This felt a little more normal.  
  
Ginny's smile faded and her grin took a bitter twist. "Oh, sometimes I'm the invisible girl at home. I hear all kinds of things. No one ever thinks much of me. I'm 'just' Ginny," she told him, her eyes downcast.  
  
Harry didn't know what to say, but he knew he wanted to see her smile again. He didn't like it when she was sad. "Well, uh," he began awkwardly. "I don't think you will ever be 'just' Ginny to me, if that counts for anything," he added hastily. He could feel himself turning red again, but it was worth it seeing the pleasure on Ginny's face.  
  
"Thanks Harry," she said shyly. "That's good to know."  
  
There was a long pause as they sat and tried to think of something to say. Harry absently plucked at his blanket while Ginny twirled her hair around her finger. He couldn't help remembering how soft it was.  
  
"About…everything," Ginny started hesitantly, her eyes not quite meeting his. "I want you to know that I'm not angry or upset with you – like Hermione is with Ron. I'm a bit embarrassed," she added wryly, finally glancing at him, "but I'll get over it. You did what you had to do and I'm…very grateful. I…we…could have all died…"  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Harry agreed reluctantly, not wanting to be thrust in the hero role again. Ginny was being very open and Harry knew he should reciprocate, after all, he wanted to get rid of the awkwardness too. "If there had been any other way…I just feel like I've…" he paused uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair. "I feel like I've invaded your privacy or taken advantage of you, or…something," he said haltingly, not able to look at her. "And I'm sorry."  
  
"Harry, you didn't do anything wrong. You did what you had to do," Ginny reassured him, no longer embarrassed as she tried to comfort him. "No one, me especially, would hold it against you. Besides I figure we're even. I did get to see you in that little towel," she teased.  
  
Harry turned bright red. "Well, at least I was partially covered," he tried to tease back. "I, uh, saw a lot more – not that I was really paying attention," he hastened to add. "I, uh…"  
  
"I can't imagine that I'm very attractive when I'm blue," Ginny laughed. "I'd still call us even because I…felt…more." She grinned at him wickedly, though her cheeks were red.  
  
Harry stared at her, gaping like a goldfish. If he turned any redder he would spontaneously combust. She would have to bring that up!  
  
He cleared his throat. If they were really going to get through all this embarrassment he had to say something. She had brought it up after all, and he wanted to make sure that he hadn't…offended her. "About…that. I wanted to…explain, well, not really explain, but…" he floundered, sighing in frustration. "I wanted to…apologize. I didn't mean…"  
  
Ginny's laughter once again interrupted him. She looked very amused and it irked him that she was enjoying his discomfort. "Oh Harry, it's okay. You were practically asleep! I have six older brothers, for Merlin's sake. I've heard enough to know that it is a perfectly normal morning occurrence under normal circumstances – and the cabin was anything but normal."  
  
She tried to sound blasé about it, but her pink cheeks gave her away. Still, Harry had to give her points for her bravado.  
  
Relieved, Harry offered her a sheepish grin. "Thanks. I was afraid I might have offended you or something."  
  
"Oh, not at all," Ginny told him, a familiar devilish look in her eyes. "I'm sure I'll dine out on that memory for weeks to come!"  
  
"Ginny!" Harry said, shocked and amused by her audacity.  
  
"What?" she asked him innocently.  
  
Harry shook his head in exasperation. "I'm scandalized, Miss Weasley."  
  
"You were supposed to be, Mr. Potter," she grinned out him.  
  
They both started laughing, the awkwardness between them gone. They were back to being friends.  
  
"Well, look who's finally awake!" One of the twins called out as he, his twin, Angelina, Ron and Hermione trouped into the Infirmary.  
  
"What are you up to, Potter?" the other twin – this time Harry was certain it was George because Fred had his arm around Angelina – asked suspiciously. "Propositioning our sister?"  
  
Harry stopped laughing, his eyes widening as the group surrounded the two beds. "No! I…uh…" he looked helplessly over at Ginny.  
  
"Of course not!" Fred interrupted, looking at him sternly. "Harry would never proposition our sister, not if he wanted to be able to fly his broomstick anytime soon," he waggled his eyebrows in a pseudo-malicious manner.  
  
"Fine," George agreed grudgingly, his eyes twinkling as he tried to look stern but failed miserably. "Just because you've got her knickers off once," both Harry and Ginny blushed profusely, "don't think you can try it again. Got that, mate? There will be no propositioning of our baby sister…no hand holding, nuzzling, snogging or other intimacies of any type!"  
  
Harry nodded, unable to speak.  
  
"There will be no funny business in this house!" Fred chimed in with a dead on impersonation of Mrs. Weasley. "So keep your hands to yourself!"  
  
"But what if I want to proposition him?" Ginny said indignantly. She was sitting in bed, her hands on her hips staring disapprovingly at her brothers.  
  
Everyone turned to stare at her, the twins with identical expressions of disbelief. Harry found it hard not to laugh.  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
"Have you become a scarlet woman?!"  
  
"Are you mad? You're only 14!"  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Well, I think I should have a say in the matter! Harry can't proposition me, so I guess it's up to me." She turned to look at him, and Harry could see the barely-contained smile she was holding back. The twins and Ron were looking at her like she'd grown two heads. "What do you say, Harry? How about midnight in the Astronomy Tower?" Fred gasped. "Too high traffic?" Ginny pondered, her finger tapping against her cheek. "We could always wait until Madame Pomfrey goes to sleep. We're the only ones in here. Well?"  
  
Harry winked at Ginny. "I guess it would be impolite for me to say no, after all, you did just suffer through quite an ordeal…"  
  
Angelina let out short giggle, but quickly covered it with a cough after Fred glared at her. Hermione expression looked like a mixture horror and amusement.  
  
"Now, Ginny…." Ron began calmly, though his face was red.  
  
"Go to your dormitory right now!" Fred and George declared in unison.  
  
Harry, Ginny, Angelina and Hermione all started laughing.  
  
"Honestly," Ginny declared between giggles. "Do you really think I would…? And Harry would take me up on it?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm only 14 – well, almost 15, but really! Give me some credit! I don't need three overgrown oafs to protect me from Harry, of all people!"  
  
"What is all this noise?" Madame Pomfrey came bustling into the room. "Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley need their rest. The lot of you…shoo…off to dinner. You can see them again tomorrow."  
  
Fred and George had the good grace to look sheepish as they kissed their sister on the cheek, each affectionately ruffling her hair.  
  
"We were only kidding, Gin," Fred told here.  
  
"Yeah," George agreed. "We know you can take care of yourself, but….maybe…." he looked at Fred.  
  
"Maybe," Fred continued, picking up his brother's cue, "you'd be more comfortable in that bed over there…by the window." He pointed to the bed furthest from Harry.  
  
"I'm sure it has a lovely view!" George grinned. "Harry won't mind. He's a big boy, he can sleep by himself." George winked and Ginny swatted his arm.  
  
"Oh, you! Leave Harry alone," she told them with a smile. "The only thing he did was save my life. You should be grateful."  
  
"We are, we are," Fred assured her, as he turned to Harry. "We've even brought him a gift." He held out a brightly wrapped package about the size of his hand. Harry took it carefully as Fred shook his other hand enthusiastically. "Many thanks for saving our dear, beloved, little sister," he said importantly, his chest puffing out in a decent impersonation of Percy. "As the oldest Weasley present …"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"…by four minutes," Fred continued, "I feel it is my duty to let you know that the entire Weasley family is indebted to you for your brave, noble, and self-sacrificing service of…"  
  
"Stripping our sister down and climbing naked into bed with her!" George chimed in. Ron cuffed him upside the head and everyone laughed, though to Harry's eyes Hermione's looked a bit forced.  
  
"Out you go," Madame Pomfrey said again, holding the door open for them.  
  
Hermione hugged him and told him that she was making extra copies of her notes for him. Ron nodded solemnly and then kissed Ginny on the cheek. Angelina gave them both hugs. George was the last to go, he kissed Ginny, ruffling her hair playfully. Then he turned to clap Harry heartily on the back – a little too heartily, Harry thought, fighting the urged to rub his shoulder.  
  
"Seriously, mate," he said. "Thanks." Then he leaned in a bit further and said softly, "But we weren't kidding about the broomstick." With a wink, he turned and left the Infirmary.  
  
Ginny was looking at him curiously, obviously wondering what George had said.  
  
Harry smiled. "Well, at least they didn't hex me…though I don't think I will open their present." He nudged it carefully on the nightstand, halfway expecting it to explode in his face.  
  
Ginny nodded sagely. "I think that is a wise decision."  
  
The End? - For now at least. ;)  
  
  
  
Well, it's finished. sigh Two and a half months late, but better late than never, right? Many thanks to Anne and Imogen for the beta, and especially to Bela – who thought up the wonderful title. It was truly inspired. ( 


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